Bank-check, money-order, and the like.



J. J. CLARK. BANK CHECK, MONEY oEDEE, AND TEE LINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 30, 1908. A

Patented Mar. 16, 1909.

rinirnn sfrnrns PATENT ornion.

JOHN J. CLARK, OF SAGO'LA, MICHIGAN.

BANK-CHECK, MONEY-ORDER, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 16, 1909.

Application filed March 30, 1908. Serial No. 424,189..

.the county of Dickinson and State of Michi- 5 gan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bank-Checks, Money-Orders, and the Like, of which the following is a specificationl v My present invention relates to improvements in checks, drafts, money-orders and other devices which may be made payable,

for or to represent different values or amounts of money, and it has for its object primarily to provide a device of this character'having rows of numerals corresponding to the different values which the device may be made to represent, a p ortion of the checkV or other device, prefera ly one'end thereof 'being `adapted to be torn from the body whereby the highest numerals of the several rows serve to indicate, without possibilityT .of fraudulent alteration, the exact amount represented-on the body of the device.

Another object of the invention is to rovide an improved device of the' general c aracter set forth above, which comprises a body whereon is represented the amount and which contains the signature and other a propriatedata as usual and a stub on tie check which is adapted to be torn from the body, the rows of value indicating numerals which are printed uponathe device as to be partly contained on the body and partly on the stub, being arranged in primary and secondary rows, one row lserving to indicate upon the body the amount for which the same was originally issued, and the other row indicating upon the stub or check the amount for which the body was issued.

One embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein the invention is applied to a check, but it will be understood that the invention is not limited in this respect as it is capable of use generallyin con-icates except that thefnumer'als of the secondnection with devices of various kinds that are capable of denoting values. In the present instance the check comprises a body l1 and a stub 2 `which are preferably made as usualof a sheet of paper of appropriate dimensions, the body being usually printed as a blank and iilled out for' the amount for which the check is payable and it is signed. The stubis arranged at one edgel of the sheet, preferably at one end as shown, and it may contain a blank form to receive appropriate data with reference to the body from which it is torn, such for instance as the ties to whom and for whom it was made.

from the body is preferably utilized to indicate von, the row or rows of numerals the amount represented on the body which is usually negotiated and inthe present instance azrow of numerals is shown consisting of a niimeral section 3 which extends lengthwise inwardly across portions ofthe stub and body, a i'umeral section 4 which extends transversely of the strip, a numeral section 5 which also extends preferably lengthwise of the strip or arallel to the numeral section 3 and -numera section 6 which extends transversely of the strip and parallel to the section 4, the sections of numerals vhowever constitutingin eect a continuous row although certain ones are arranged in angular relation to others.'

The numerals of the section 3 are arranged preferably rogressively in a direction from the apex o the angle formed. between this section of the row and the next adjacent row thereof and designate amounts in. dollars for instance, varying by tens or any other appropriate progression, while the numerals in the section 4 vary progressively iroiiisaid ing to dollars. The numerals in the sections 5 and 6 vary in a similar manner, these numerals corresponding however to the cents portion of an amount.

In the present instance the stub is adapted to be torn from the body portion of the instrument in order to serve as a counter part or check thereon, and in order that the stub may indicate positivelyV the amount for which the body portion of the instrument was issued, a secondary row of numerals is provided which preferably Aextends parallel to ythe primaryrow the rows being dupliary row are arranged opposite to the next In issuing devices of this' character made in accordance with my invention, the bodyportion isiilled out as usual. In the present instance, a check is shown drawn for $67 .58, and in issuing the check the stub is torn from the body on the dotted line 7-7 as shown. This line of severance intersects the section of numerals 3 so as to leave the numeral 60 of the primary row as the highest one in this section, and in the same manner it intersects j The line on. which the stub is separated fnumber and the amount thereof, and the parapex preferably by single units correspi'df lower numerals in value `of the primary row. l

the sections 4, 5 and 6 leaving the numerals 7, 50 and 8 as'the highest numerals in these sections. Y By predetermined interpretation, the amount indicated on the 4margin of the body indicates the same' amount as that designated in the body. On the stub thel lowest remaining numerals in the sections 3 and 4 are 60 and 7 in the secondary row, and the lowest remaining numerals in the sections 5 and 6 are 50 and 8, so that by roper interpretation the amount indicatedp ered margin of the stub corresponds with that designated in the body pei rtion which has been severed therefron i An instrument made in accordance with my invention provides effective means for preventing fraudulent alteration of the amount designated in the body thereof, as all numerals having values greater than that designated in the body are removed and hence it will be impossible to raise thei amount without exposing the fraud.

It will be understood that while I have herein shown one specific embodiment of my invention, this is susceptible to changes and modifications Without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I desire it to be understood that the expression single zigzag row in the claim 1s intended to cover the primary value designating characters either with or without the sub-characters which indicate on the stub the amount for which the instrument is drawn. y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is A device of the character described, having an angular row of value-designating characon the sev# ters adapted to indicate on the margin of theA device when torn from its stub the amount for which it is drawncornprising a row of 40 above mentioned rows having the highest value and extending in-a direction longitudinally of said device, the characters of the said third row decreasing uniformly in value from the second row to the end-of the third row, and of a different denomination `from said first and second rows7 and a fourth row of value-designating characters of the same denomination as the third row, commencing at that end of the third -row having the lowest value and extending transversely thereof, the characters of the fourth row uniformly increasing in value from the lowest value at the end adjacent the third row to the highest value at its opposite end, the said four rows being arranged to form a single zig-zag row. l

In testimony whereof laiiix my signature in presence o f two witnesses.

JOHN J. CLARK. Witnesses:

WLLLIAM SHAY, CHAs. FRooK. 

